UK IT buyers prefer skinny models, if slightly cheaper

Ultrabooks are forecast to overtake notebook shipments by mid 2012 after swingeing price cuts appear to be finally reeling in some UK punters, particularly in the enterprise.

This is according to channel box-counter Context, armed with distributor sales-out stats that show a six fold rise in 13.3 inch utrabooks - 80 per cent of the ultrabook market - in August compared to January.

Average sales prices for Ultrabooks have fallen 21 per cent since the start of the year - Context refused to detail this in terms of pounds - and is luring in customers who now have to dig less deep.

Context said in January 13.3 inch Ultrabooks made up 5 per cent of the notebook market but in August they had snaffled 27 per cent market share. In the same time frame notebook sales declined 12 per cent.

"By the middle of next year 13.3 inch Ultrabooks will overtake [same sized] notebooks," Senthuran Premakumar, enterprise analyst at Context told The Channel.

Late last year Gartner claimed the Ultrabook category would not lift off until prices fell by around a quarter.